The Kwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) held a pre-tender meeting on February 10, for its $18-billion clean fuels project at the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries. KNPC invited international engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies to bid for the tender by April 2 this year.

KNPC has set a fee of $8 875 for the tender documents and a bid bond of $3.55-million.

KNPC’s clean fuels project is a major upgrade and expansion of the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries to increase their combined throughput by 264 000 bbl/d to 800 000 bbl/d. The objective is to increase the conversion of fuel oil to higher-value products to meet expected market demand and tighter specifications for the sulphur content of transport fuels.

Global engineering and construction group Foster Wheeler announced in December last year that it had been awarded a project management and consultancy services contract by KNPC for the clean fuels project at the two Kuwaiti refineries.

Foster Wheeler’s scope of revenue for the contract is $500-million and will be included in the company’s fourth-quarter 2012 bookings.

The company’s scope of work includes the provision of project management services during the tendering phase for the main EPC contracts, and management of the EPC contractors up to the completion of per-formance testing.

It is expected that the clean fuels project will be completed during the second quarter of 2018.

“Foster Wheeler’s proven project manage- ment capabilities, our experience in executing mega projects, and the breadth of our refining technical expertise were critical factors in our success in winning this significant award,” says Foster Wheeler COO Umberto della Sala.

“The clean fuels project is a critical mega project that will shape the future of Kuwait’s refining capability while driving the highest standards of commitment to the environment. KNPC and Foster Wheeler have enjoyed a long-standing business relationship and look forward to a true partnership in bringing the clean fuels project packages to their successful commissioning,” says KNPC chairperson and MD Fahed Salem Al Ajmi.